


And The World Collapses Around You

by ThebanSacredBand



Category: Alexander (2004), Alexander Trilogy - Mary Renault, Ancient History RPF, Classical Greece and Rome History & Literature RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Don't copy to another site, Historical Inaccuracy, Is it technically canon divergence if it's historical?, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 12:59:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18621112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThebanSacredBand/pseuds/ThebanSacredBand
Summary: It was easier, perhaps, than it should have been for Hephaistion to convince Pausanias. But then, he hated the king, and Attalus too. Hephaistion didn’t even need to make him promises of power after Philip’s death. He only had to promise that he would provide Pausanias a horse, so he could escape and live a life free of the burdens that had befallen him in Macedon.But, apparently, it was less easy than it should have been for Pausanias to actually carry out that murder.Hephaistion found this out when, at a strategy meeting for the planned invasion of Persia, which Alexander had forced Hephaistion to come with him to, they were rudely interrupted by two guards dragging Pausanias in, his hands bound behind him.





	And The World Collapses Around You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for Cosette, who gave me the idea for Alexander to discover Hephaistion has been using him. Thanks for your comment, and hope you enjoy :D

It was easier, perhaps, than it should have been for Hephaistion to convince Pausanias. But then, he hated the king, and Attalus too. Hephaistion didn’t even need to make him promises of power after Philip’s death. He only had to promise that he would provide Pausanias a horse, so he could escape and live a life free of the burdens that had befallen him in Macedon.

But, apparently, it was less easy than it should have been for Pausanias to actually carry out that murder.

Hephaistion found this out when, at a strategy meeting for the planned invasion of Persia, which Alexander had forced Hephaistion to come with him to, they were rudely interrupted by two guards dragging Pausanias in, his hands bound behind him.

This, this was bad. 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Philip boomed, standing up, startling Hephaistion a little given his fixation with Pausanias. What startled Hephaistion more was that it was Pausanias, not the guards, who spoke.

“I have come to admit a plot to kill you, my king.”

“By whom?”

“Me, my lord. Encouraged by a member of court.” Philip began stalking towards Pausanias, who somehow still had the gall to look the king in the eye.

“Encouraged?”

“He offered me a prestigious place in court after the fact, my king. I refused, and asked only for help to get passage to Athens, where I was sure I would be worshipped as a hero. But I cannot do it, my lord. Not after… I still hate you a little, I admit. But still, you offered me a life, _after_ , and I could not betr-“

“Who was the man who bribed you, Pausanias.” It was not a question, it was an order.

Pausanias’ answer was too quiet for Hephaistion to hear. Though, of course, he knew the answer, if Pausanias was telling Philip the truth. And judging by the way Philip swung around to face him, the triumphant grin that lit up his face, Hephaistion knew that he had been revealed.

“What did he say, father? He was too quiet, I couldn’t hear him.” Alexander called out from the seat beside Hephaistion’s. Hephaistion shook his head to himself, slightly. This was going to ruin Alexander.

“Yes, Pausanias, please repeat that. Loud enough for my son and his friends to hear.” There was victory in Philip’s voice.

“I…” Pausanias faltered, looking at Hephaistion for the first time since he had entered to room. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them again, turning his gaze back to Philip.

“It was Hephaistion, sir.”

 

Hephaistion had been grabbed by guards, everyone was shouting, and Philip looked as though he may be laughing. But Alexander? Alexander had not moved from where he had stood up in his chair in shock. Alexander could not think.

Just the idea that Hephaistion may have tried to kill Alexander’s own father was beyond comprehensible. _His_ Hephaistion. No. He would never have attempted something like that. Hephaistion had never wanted power. He _loved_ Alexander.

Someone placed a hand on Alexander’s shoulder. Alexander shrugged whoever it was off, and stood.

“He’s lying.” He said, trying to keep his voice firm.

“Oh, Alexander? What makes you say that?”

“He. He must be. Hephaistion would not, he would never do something like that.”

“You’re going to have come up with a better argument than that, boy.”

And Alexander, he couldn’t, how could he come up with a logical argument when the possibility that this may be true (it wasn’t, it _wasn’t_ ) kept replaying over and over in his head. He pulled at the first ideas he could find.

“It, he, maybe Pausanias is jealous. That Hephaistion loves me as he loved you but unlike _you_ I love him back. A smear campaign, to make _me_ look bad for trusting him. I… I just can’t. Hephaistion wouldn’t He couldn’t. He is Hephaistion.” Alexander’s voice was breaking, his chest tight.

The way Philip was looking at him was the closest to pity that he had ever seen in his father’s face.

“I know you love him, Alexander, and you are blinded by this.” The rest of the room had stopped talking, and were staring.

“I’m not! I’m not! I _know_ him!” He was almost shouting, now. There were tears in his eyes. “Please, father, how can you believe this man, who just told you he was going to kill you, over me, your _son_. Please,” and it was here his voice cracked, “please, father, he would not do this.”

Philip turned to where Hephaistion had been dragged beside him.

“I know you are guilty, and so do you.” He snapped. “You are not going to make your way out of this alive. Why don’t you put my son out of his misery and let him know what you really think of him.”

Alexander wanted to cry out again, that this wasn’t fair, it wasn’t true. But Hephaistion turned to stare at him, and even with half a room between them, Alexander could see something in his expression that he had never seen before.

“No.” Alexander said. No. No. This couldn’t be happening.

“Alexander.” Hephaistion had never before said his name without some sort of tenderness behind his voice. Now it was all hardness, almost mocking. “Oh, Alexander, I did it for you, for us. I know you hate him. This would have made you king. And me by your side.”

“No. No I… I can’t. You, no, you want me. Not my power. Not you.”

“By the gods, Alexander, how could you not even suspect? You’re the heir to the throne. No-one even talks to you without wanting _something_.”

Alexander was shaking. “No. No. Everyone else, maybe. But not _you_ , Hephaistion. You love me. You _love_ me.” He was sobbing now.

“Do I?” Hephaistion gave a feral grin, his eyes blazing. “Do I really?”

And that was. No. Alexander fell back into his chair, clasping a hand over his heart. His chest was heaving, heaving, but there was no air getting in. Everything was muffled. Everything except for Hephaistion’s voice which Alexander would have been able to pick out from miles away.

 “This was what you wanted, was it not, my king? To tell him what I really think of him? That was barely the surface. I could go on, if you wish? Tell him how this was my intention since I was first chosen as his companion? Tell him every way I got him to do just what I wanted?”

Philip shouted something, but it was indistinct to Alexander. All he could hear were Hephaistion’s words, repeating over and over again. Since he was first chosen. When they were eleven, and Hephaistion had repeatedly told the other boys that he believed Alexander was destined for greatness. When they were in Mieza, those long evenings spent together. Their first kiss. The first time they slept entangled in each-other’s arms.

It was all a lie.

Everything they shared. Everything they were. It was all gone, turned to smoke in an instant.

 

By the time Alexander could see, could hear, could think again. Almost everyone was gone. The only one left was Ptolemy. Ptolemy, who he had known since he was a child, who he had always trusted. But, apparently, their long history together didn’t mean anything. Not anymore.

“Alexander, are you –”

“Fuck off Ptolemy. What do _you_ want from me? Land? Position?”

Ptolemy only blinks at him sadly.

“Let’s get you to bed, Alexander. Things will seem alright in the morning.”

 

(They did not. Things never seemed alright again.)

**Author's Note:**

> It isn't part of the timeline of my other dark!Hephaistion fics, because I'm aiming at telling those as 'historically accurate' as possible. There might be another of a similar vein within that timeline, but it would happen quite late on and I don't want to write it before writing some of the other ideas I have.  
> Any questions, ideas or general statements of enjoyment are wholeheartedly welcome in the comments or on my (still largely unupdated but I'll get on that) tumblr [lesmiserabiliad](https://lesmiserabiliad.tumblr.com/)


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